i personally imagined davos as something like mads mikkelson, and melisandre as someone like january jones. mads mikkelson doesn't give enough of that 'average joe' kind of vibe that i got from davos though, but he's pretty awesome, so i dunno.

i have no idea who could play stannis...

as for theon's father. this guy.

but hey i'm not a casting director, what do i know . what would be your suggestions anyway? feel free to do whichever, and how many characters as you want.

i personally imagined davos as something like mads mikkelson, and melisandre as someone like january jones. mads mikkelson doesn't give enough of that 'average joe' kind of vibe that i got from davos though, but he's pretty awesome, so i dunno.

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January Jones? Not good. I love her in Mad Men but after seeing X-Men First Class, I am starting to suspect that what always seemed like great acting on her part (that bored, not quite there attitude of a miserable housewife) might be all she's got. Maybe it's not great acting so much as just how she is. And that wouldn't really fly for Mellisandre.

Mark Strong isn't impossible, but he's becoming a bigger and bigger player in Hollywood movies. Given Stannis is a recurring character across potentially 5+ seasons, I don't think it's likely.

My picks:

Davos SeaworthPhilip Glenister, best-known as Gene Hunt in Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes. He has a strong everyman, no-nonsense vibe like Davos, but also has a wounded, vulnerable side (particularly in his lesser-known roles) that Davos displays.

Stannis Baratheon
With Strong likely unavailable, this one gave me some considerable headaches until someone on another forum suggested Robson Green. Green is the former acting and singing partner of Jerome Flynn (who plays Bronn), but more recently has made a name for himself in dark, haunted and serious roles, most notably as the werewolf MacNair on Being Human. His steely-eyed thousand-yard stare, unyielding determination and uncharismatic charisma (if that makes sense) all fit Stannis perfectly. Plus he's one year younger than Mark Addy and has very short hair, which is a bonus.

MelisandreTricia Helfer. Sorry to be Captain Obvious on this one, but she's a good actress who does 'intense' very well, has a notable individual fan following and, more realistically, has already auditioned for a role (Cersei in S1) so is known to the casting directors already. Her new show just got cancelled after the pilot stage, so she's available. Finally, she looks good in red and has a proven facility with wigs.

CrasterIan McShane. Because we need McShane for something, and if it's for two scenes a season apart from one another in which he just acts like an old git, so be it

Maester CressenRoy Dotrice. Dotrice was supposed to be Pycelle, but had to pull out for health reasons. Cressen is a short but notable one-scene role that is quite memorable and Dotrice should do it brilliantly.

Edmure TullyJamie Bamber. Edmure is a bit of a wide-eyed, idealistic and headstrong guy, but due to the aging-up of Cat and Lysa, he also needs to be able to sell these qualities convincingly whilst being at least in his thirties. Bamber (Lee Adama from BSG, for those who don't know) does all those things quite well, plus he has an open schedule and is known to the casting director (he auditioned for Jaime in Season 1).

Roose BoltonDavid Bamber (best known as Cicero in Rome and Hitler in Valkyrie). He has a slightly off-kilter charm and a proven ability to play two-faced characters excellently.

Ramsay Snow (aka Bolton aka Reek Mk. 1)Daniel Mays (most recently seen as Keats in the final season of Ashes to Ashes and Cromwell in Outcasts). He does bug-eyed crazy-one-moment-but-rationale-the-next brilliantly.

Asha GreyjoyNora-Jane Noone. Best-known for The Magdalene Sisters, she's the right age, resembles Alfie Allen a bit and has the strength and intensity that Asha needs to do the role (a great suggestion by the Winter is Coming site).

Balon GreyjoyKeith Allen. Possibly slightly gimmicky (Alfie Allen is his real-life son) but he's got the acting chops to do it and he looks like Balon right down to a tee (seriously, put a kraken on him and he's good to go).

Jaqen H'Ghar
(Technically introduced in the final episode already but they cheesily stuck a cloak over his head) My preference is Idris Elba, but between him helming his own BBC TV show and a growing movie profile after Thor, I don't think it's likely. Though obviously Jaqen is the only castmember who can be recast at will and it not be jarring to the audience, so that's not so much of a problem

Qhorin HalfhandSean Pertwee. If you want a grizzled-but-still-capable-of-kicking-butt veteran who looks like he's been through the wars, Pertwee is your man.

Xaro Xhoan DaxosPeter Capaldi (from The Thick of It). Charming, obseuiqious (sic) but with a hint of threatening steel. Anyone who's seen him as the Angel Islington in Neverwhere knows he can handle that, no problem.

Brienne of TarthEva Damen. She wants it, the fans are keen, she seems to have the acting chops to do it and she's got the looks (those looks being 'Hollywood unattractive' rather than 'actually unattractive' of course, but that's the way these things roll).

Ygritte
This is almost certainly going to be an unknown, since they need an up-and-coming actress who looks of an age with Jon Snow, or maybe a year or two older. I don't have any ideas at all for this one. The same for Magaery Tyrell and Quaithe.

Mark Strong isn't impossible, but he's becoming a bigger and bigger player in Hollywood movies. Given Stannis is a recurring character across potentially 5+ seasons, I don't think it's likely.

My picks:

Davos SeaworthPhilip Glenister, best-known as Gene Hunt in Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes. He has a strong everyman, no-nonsense vibe like Davos, but also has a wounded, vulnerable side (particularly in his lesser-known roles) that Davos displays.

Stannis Baratheon
With Strong likely unavailable, this one gave me some considerableheadaches until someone on another forum suggested Robson Green. Green is the former acting and singing partner of Jerome Flynn (who plays Bronn), but more recently has made a name for himself in dark, haunted and serious roles, most notably as the werewolf MacNair on Being Human. His steely-eyed thousand-yard stare, unyielding determination and uncharismatic charisma (if that makes sense) all fit Stannis perfectly. Plus he's one year younger than Mark Addy and has very short hair, which is a bonus.

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YES Strong as Stannis would be full of Win. He does menacing acidic characters well, loved him in Sherlock Holmes.

MelisandreTricia Helfer. Sorry to be Captain Obvious on this one, but she's a good actress who does 'intense' very well, has a notable individual fan following and, more realistically, has already auditioned for a role (Cersei in S1) so is known to the casting directors already. Her new show just got cancelled after the pilot stage, so she's available. Finally, she looks good in red and has a proven facility with wigs.

Jaqen H'Ghar
(Technically introduced in the final episode already but they cheesily stuck a cloak over his head) My preference is Idris Elba, but between him helming his own BBC TV show and a growing movie profile after Thor, I don't think it's likely. Though obviously Jaqen is the only castmember who can be recast at will and it not be jarring to the audience, so that's not so much of a problem

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Failing Miltos Yerolemou in heavy make-up , Elba is a good choice, though I think his physical presence is a bit too overpowering. I just picture Jaqen to be more slinky in physical appearance, and Elba's performance as Heimdall and Charles Miner (on the US Office) really shows off his imposing physical presence. Then again, Mark Addy destroyed any pre-conceived notions many of us had about playing Robert.

Brienne of TarthEva Damen. She wants it, the fans are keen, she seems to have the acting chops to do it and she's got the looks (those looks being 'Hollywood unattractive' rather than 'actually unattractive' of course, but that's the way these things roll)..

Never mind. I misread. What I saw was a facebook page that somebody made, saying that they should cast Alan Rickman.
While I agree with this, it's a pipe dream. He's way too big an actor to play what amounts to not a main character in a cable series.

nice choices werthead. can't believe i didn't think of tricia helfer though, i love battlestar galactica! but i still believe january jones would be really good, her demeanor and look is just exactly how i pictured it, and she does it quite well even if it's the only thing she can do.
mark strong would be perfect for stannis now that i think about it, obviously that's probably not going to happen though, he's in a lot of films these days (none of them on par with his talent, minus kick-ass ).

Peter Capaldi is a reasonably high-profile actor (though moreso in the UK than the US). I doubt he'd do a role with one scene in Season 2, then maybe a couple more in Season 5, then he might be back in Season 8 (assuming ADWD and ASoS are two seasons each) to do a couple more. In fact, it's more likely they'll drop Aeron altogether from Season 2 and only introduce him in Season 5 when he has more to do.

That's why I suggested him for Daxos (aka that guy who looks after Dany in Qarth, keeps trying to get her dragons and eventually tells her to get stuffed when he can't get them). He has a lot more screentime in Season 2 and: